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Zack's brain was running at full throttle, like an overheated machine. Thoughts clashed and overlapped, messy, senseless. He was desperately trying to distinguish truth from lies in the flood of information he had received.
What the hell was he doing in that building that had exploded? Why was he even alive? But most of all… could he really believe a single word coming from that girl?
After all, what sane person would take in a complete stranger they found in the middle of the forest, at night? The fact that he had amnesia only made him an easy target. What if her kindness was nothing more than a mask, a carefully woven trap?
And just as he was drowning in doubt, a light, careless voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Lina: Hey, Zack, hungry? Want me to fix you something?
He lifted his head sharply. Lina stood in the tiny kitchen, stretching with her arms above her head, her black hair cascading down her back.
Lina: What's wrong, cat got your tongue? Answer me! But fair warning—I've only got instant noodles. Yeah, I know, not the best… But honestly, you could've guessed just by looking at this dump of an apartment.
Zack stayed silent, frozen in place. He couldn't make sense of anything. Not her. Not the situation. Everything felt unreal, crooked, like a bad dream.
His throat tightened, and he muttered in a hoarse whisper:
Zack: … Why?
Lina turned, surprised. She raised an eyebrow, a pack of noodles in hand.
Lina: Huh? Why what?
That tone—casual, almost mocking—snapped something inside him. The anger he had been holding back boiled over, scorching hot. His fists trembled. He suddenly stood, his voice breaking into a scream:
Zack: IF YOU'RE TELLING THE TRUTH… THEN WHY DID YOU PICK ME UP FROM THAT FOREST?! NO ONE WOULD DO THAT! AND WHY ARE YOU SO DAMN KIND TO ME?! HUH?! AND IF YOU REALLY ARE HONEST… WHERE IS YOUR FAMILY?! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ALL ALONE HERE?!
His shout echoed through the cramped apartment, making the ceiling lamp sway slightly.
Lina didn't flinch. Her hand tightened on the pot's handle, and for a brief moment, Zack thought he saw her smile falter. But her expression quickly returned to neutral. Without rushing, she set the water to boil and answered, her voice soft but icy, stripped of the energy she had shown so far.
Lina: You wanna know why I brought you here? … Two reasons.
First, because my big brother taught me to always be kind to people. Doesn't matter who they are.
And second… because you reminded me of the day I found my second brother—my brother in heart—alone on the street.
Her flat, emotionless answer shattered Zack's anger like glass. He stood frozen, breathing hard, his heart pounding wildly.
Zack: A… and your family?
Lina paused. Her hand shook slightly above the bubbling water. Then she sighed, as though speaking was painful.
Lina: My parents abandoned me and my brother Ayoub when we were just babies. Ayoub… died. And Kaiser, my brother in heart, disappeared. His disappearance caused me a lot of trouble.
Zack: T-trouble? What do you mean?
She let out a bitter, humorless laugh.
Lina: Hah. You'll probably think I'm crazy. But Kaiser… he was so strong that not even a nuclear bomb would've been enough to kill him. Honestly, to take him down, the whole world would've had to team up.
Zack swallowed hard.
Zack: S-someone like that… could really exist?
Lina: (shooting him a steady look) Yup. I'm not lying. And ever since he disappeared, plenty of people have been hunting me, thinking I know where he is. But the truth is… I don't. Idiots, the lot of them.
Zack stayed quiet. A thought crossed his mind: what if Lina's cheerfulness wasn't a mask meant to deceive him… but a fragile shield she had built to protect herself from her own sadness?
Before he could dig deeper into the thought, she set a steaming bowl down in front of him.
Lina: Here. Careful, it's hot.
She sat down across from him, smiling as if nothing had happened, as if their heavy conversation had never taken place. The contrast made a heavy weight grow inside Zack—a mix of guilt and unease.
Zack: Listen, Lina… I… I'm sorry for earlier.
His gaze dropped, his voice trembling.
Lina: (shrugging) Don't worry about it. Here in Enda, it's normal to doubt everyone. Especially in your situation.
Zack blinked, startled.
Zack: Enda? What's that?
Lina: What? You don't even remember that? Damn… this is worse than I thought.
Zack: Why's it so important?
Lina: (sighing, setting down her chopsticks) You kidding? It's huge. Okay, quick history lesson, because I don't feel like giving you the full version: seventeen years ago, ten people—now called the Ten Kings—fought against the entire European continent… and won.
Then they vanished. Just like that. Since then, all of Europe has become a single country: Enda. The former nations—France, Spain, Italy, the rest—are just "zones" now.
Oh, and ever since the Kings disappeared, weird stuff happens: mountains appear out of nowhere, forests sprout overnight… The ecosystem's totally screwed.
Zack: S-seriou—
An enormous explosion shook the apartment. The sound came from the door—it had literally blown apart under a single strike. Dust and smoke filled the room, and a deep, mocking voice echoed:
??? : Heh… I finally found you, Lina.
A man stepped in—towering, nearly two meters tall, bare-chested, with a massive snake tattoo coiling across his back.
Lina's eyes widened in shock.
Lina: Shit… It's Lorenzo! Zack, RU—
But before she could finish, a brutal kick smashed into Zack, launching him across the room like a ragdoll. His head slammed against the wall, the metallic taste of blood flooding his mouth.
Lina: Zack!
She tried to rush to him, but Lorenzo grabbed her by the hair, yanking her backward and forcing her down to her knees in pain.
Lorenzo: HAHAHA! Damn, this is hilarious! In a situation like this, and you're worried about him? What is he, your boyfriend?
Lina: Bastard!
Lorenzo: (grinning) Yeah, I hear that a lot… So much that I guess I really am the king of bastards! Hahaha! But sorry, little miss, it's time to put you to sleep. It'll hurt a bit, but you'll understand.
He raised his fist, ready to smash it into her face.
But before the blow could land, his head was violently slammed into the wall, the plaster cracking under the impact. His grip on Lina loosened instantly.
She fell backward, wide-eyed.
Lina: Z… Zack?
He stood there, breathing raggedly, his body burning hot like a furnace. His eyes, however, were no longer the same. A raw, animal rage blazed within them.
Zack carefully set Lina down on the floor, ignoring her completely, his fists trembling.
Lorenzo: You… bastard!
He pulled his head from the wall, fury twisting his face. But Zack wasn't listening anymore. His heart pounded wildly, his vision darkened, his mind screamed one single command:
Zack: … I'm going to kill you.
One goal. One truth.
Destroy the man standing before him.